Many catalytic processes are carried out in reactors which contain a series of separated catalytic beds. In such processes frequently mixing means, such as quench boxes, are disposed between beds. The purpose of the quench boxes is to provide rapid and efficient mixing of the fluid streams being processed in the reactor as they progress from one catalyst bed to the next. As will be readily appreciated, the better the mixing, the better the temperature and reaction control and, hence, the better the overall reactor performance.
Examples of such quench boxes can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,480,407, 3,723,072, 3,880,961 and 3,895,919.
Although these prior art quench boxes may have provided specific advantages over other thenknown quench boxes, experience clearly has shown that uniform temperatures and the flow of fluids to catalyst beds after introduction of quenching fluid has never been achieved to the extent desired. Consequently, there remains a need for an improved assembly to provide improved temperature uniformity in the flow of fluids to catalyst beds after introduction of a quench fluid.